Eventually, console and mobile gaming won’t be separate entities. They’ll all be one thing. It’s inevitable as manufacturers pack more power and technology into smaller devices. Smartphones now can handle games on par with PlayStation 2-level visuals. Games like Shadowgun… Continue Reading →

Eventually, console and mobile gaming won’t be separate entities. They’ll all be one thing. It’s inevitable as manufacturers pack more power and technology into smaller devices. Smartphones now can handle games on par with PlayStation 2-level visuals. Games like Shadowgun are proof enough of that. With that in mind, how would a console launching 10 years from now look like?

It may resemble the unu, a powerful tablet that runs on the Android OS and can dock to a television set so it can act like a console. It’s the brainchild of Sunflex Europe, a longtime manufacturer of video game accessories. It’s a system that has its roots in gaming, but Nicki Repenning, vice president of business development, says the tablet target audience lies beyond that demographic.

“We want to make it an entertainment hub for the whole household,” he said.

Here are the outputs for the unu, where users can connect an external hard drive.

That means it will stream movies, play music and turn any television into a smart TV. The unu itself looks like a standard 7-inch Android tablet, boasting better than average specs: a quadcore processor and a separate graphics chip. It boasts a touch-screen interface as well as support for motion-control and eight hours of battery life. But where it gets interesting is when the device is docked and turns itself into a console.

That’s when the accompanying air mouse and Xbox 360-like controller prove useful. Users can browse menus on the tablet and start up virtually any app that they can purchase on the Google Play Store. The air mouse lets users play touch-based and motion-control games like Angry Birds (It works just like a Wii remote.) while the Bluetooth controller lets them play core titles like shooters or racing games. If users just want to browse the Web or interact on social media, they can also do it via their TV by flipping the air mouse over and tapping on the QWERTY keyboard on the back.

The smart thing about the unu is that it leverages a device that gamers already have. Because it’s an Android machine, any game or content that players purchased on their smartphone is also accessible on the unu. That fact also means it’s compatible with other devices for the OS such as a Moga controller. Lastly, Repenning said, “Our platform is completely open. You can pick anything from the Google Play Store.”

That sounds like the unu is going to compete with the Ouya, Gamestick and other microconsoles. But Repenning said his company is aiming for a broader audience, the casual gamers that may have bought into the Wii but never crossed over the threshold to the hard-core gaming realm. As for developer support, he said some have expressed interest. Looking at the system itself, there’s a possibility that it can have Wii U-type content. When I asked Repenning about that, he said it’s possible but that depends on the developer.

The unu is set to launch in November and will come in two flavors. The Gaming Edition, which comes with a tablet, air mouse, docking station, HDMI cable and wireless game controller, will sell for $249.99. The Media Edition with the same items minus the controller sells for $199.99

The developers behind Zombie Smash never intended to go into video games. Back in 2008, Matthias Hoechsmann was a German researcher working at a lab in UC Santa Cruz. He was studying extremophiles, remarkable organisms that are capable of living… Continue Reading →

The developers behind Zombie Smash never intended to go into video games. Back in 2008, Matthias Hoechsmann was a German researcher working at a lab in UC Santa Cruz. He was studying extremophiles, remarkable organisms that are capable of living in inhospitable environments such as acidic lakes and hydrothermal vents.

But then the iPhone came out and it turned the lives of Hoechsmann and his brother upside down. Avid gamers since they were children, the two saw an opportunity in the smartphone, and the two quit their respective jobs and founded a studio called Gamedoctors. Together they published the aforementioned title, and it was an immediate hit, topping the iTunes Store charts on every continent.

Don’t worry if you miss a zombie. You won’t be heavily penalized for it.

GETTING INTO THE BUSINESS OF GAMES: “That’s how we got started in the games business,” Hoechesmann said. A few years later, Zynga bought the team as part of its push to establish a foothold in mobile games.

“Over time, we figured out we had a lot in common,” he said about the acquisition. “We can keep up the independent developer spirit. Things work out.” Hoechesmann is now director of Zynga Mobiel Germany and he’s in charge of the sequel called Zombie Swipeout.

The follow-up expands on the concepts of the original, where you could smash, toss and spike zombies attacking the main character Joey. But instead of using the game’s ragdoll effects to mangle zombies across the screen, players are now asked to slice and dice them in a concept that’s similar to Halfbrick’s Fruit Ninja.

The type of weapon matters in Zombie Swipeout. The undead react different to a strike with a baseball compared to a slash with a machete.

ORIGINS IN ZOMBIE SMASH: Hoechsmann said it was a concept they wanted to add to the original Zombie Smash, but they decided to spin it off and create a whole new project. What separates it from its rivals is that Zombie Swipeout incorporates its proprietary ragdoll physics to the equation, adds an RPG element and introduces a more social component to the game.

In Zombie Swipeout, weapons matter. Players can equip machetes and baseball bats and use them to slash or crush brain-eaters that fly across the screen; the undead react differently depending on the weapon. In addition, each zombie has a weak point that’s tied to specific piece of your arsenal. For example, players will have to smash in the enemy’s head with a baseball bat for a bonus and quick kill.

Leveling up will unlock rewards such as a first-aid kit to save Joey and power-ups such as grenades.

A DEEPER LEVEL OF GAMEPLAY: But it’s not all just slicing and bashing. As in Fruit Ninja, players score combo points for slashing several zombies in one swipe. There are also objects they have to avoid — namely Joey, the protagonist — and power-ups that help eviscerate the undead. That’s where the leveling system comes in. Going up levels unlocks bonuses such as grenades that destroy everything on the screen or liquid nitrogen that freezes foes so that players can hit them more easily. It also happens to unlock weapon boxes that contain more powerful zombie-killing tools.

Players will need them because there are several types of undead. Some like Franklin the Zombie appear out of nowhere. Others like the burly Matt need more than one swipe to take down. If players happen to accidentally hit Joey while they’re slicing enemies, there is a way to rescue him but it will cost players a healing pack. Players will have to be judicious when using it.

Swipe at any coin you see! You’ll need them to buy new weapons and energy.

THE IN-GAME ECONOMY THAT KEEPS YOU PLAYING: That’s one part of the strategy that goes into Zombie Swipeout. The other comes in a third set of objects that players collect — coins. They are vital to the in-game economy, which lets players purchase weapons and energy. The first is pretty self-explanatory. Weapons cost money. The more effective ones that can give you a higher score are expensive. But they also have a price in another resource called energy. That’s the limiter for each play.

Once you buy a weapon, there’s an energy cost to use it and players only have so much energy. It adds more strategy and a feeling of risk to the game. Gamers can’t just play Zombie Swipeout over and over again. The energy resource limits their attempts. There can purchase more energy with their coins, buy some with real money or wait for it to recharge.

All of this is done just so you can beat your friends on the leaderboard, which is the social element in Zombie Swipeout. You compete against others via the iOS Game Center or Facebook. Like any good Zynga game, it’s the competition that keeps Zombie Swipeout fun and hooks the players. They want to beat their friends’ high score, and they can do that once the game is released for free in the coming days.

With 25 titles at launch, the PlayStation Vita boasts one of the most impressive lineups in recent memory. It’s a good mix of games with several genres represented, but looking deeper, you can narrow down that list. Forget about retreads… Continue Reading →

With 25 titles at launch, the PlayStation Vita boasts one of the most impressive lineups in recent memory. It’s a good mix of games with several genres represented, but looking deeper, you can narrow down that list.

Forget about retreads such as Asphalt Injection andDungeon Hunter Alliance. They’re ports of iPhone games that cost $6.99 on Apple’s device but skyrocket to $39.99 on the Vita. That’s not a great value. Other titles such asUltimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 are good but better on the console. I’m a person who can’t play fighting games without an arcade stick. Finally, some releases were never that great to begin with and they happen to be on the system. Case in point: Ben 10 Galactic Racing.

That winnows the group to about a dozen great titles. These are the cream of a solid but verdant crop. A lot of them showcase the Vita’s promise but they overuse some of the system’s features to the point that they get rather gimmicky. The best ones offer a more restrained approach; nevertheless, some of them still made it to my list for other reasons as you’ll see:

BEST ALL-AROUND GAME: Despite rave reviews, Rayman Origins hasn’t drawn the kind of attention and sales that it deserves. The beautiful hand-drawn look stands out on the OLED screen. It almost feels like you’re playing a Saturday morning cartoon. The gameplay is straight forward and reminiscent of the best platformers. It holds up in terms of difficulty to old-school Super Mario Bros. As for the level design, it’s relentless creative giving players something to ooh and aah at every stage moving from platforming to shmup the next.

Rayman Origins is just a solid, well-constructed game. But the reason that it works so well on the PlayStation Vita is that it doesn’t overuse any of the touch-screen doodads. Ubisoft Montpellier knows what this platformer is and perfectly executes it. The format also happens to dovetail nicely with the portable mindset.

MOST GORGEOUS GAME ON THE SYSTEM: If you need a release to show off the system, your best bet is Uncharted: Golden Abyss. No other launch title shows the power behind Vita than the project by Sony’s Bend Studio. For all intents and purposes, it looks like a PlayStation 3 title to the untrained eye. There are minor differences in the texture detail and all the minute graphical things that get fanboys in a huff.

But at its core, this is an honest-to-goodness Uncharted title. It has the cover system and the hanging mechanics. Nolan North again stars as the voice of Nathan Drake. There’s that same polish in presentation but Bend Studios overuses the touch-screens in places. I came across a few bugs and slow-downs and the level design doesn’t have that inspired cleverness that Naughty Dog’s work has. But the fact this is game exists on a handheld is a feat, and it will make your friends’ jaws drop.

BEST PUZZLE GAME: Like Rayman Origins, Lumines Electric Symphony doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi brings the old formula back with new tracks, new modes and a few tricks up his sleeve. The puzzle game still has that compelling quality that makes you want to try one more time, so that you can see and hear what that next track sounds like. But what impresses me most was the online aspects.

Lumines Electric Symphony leverages the Near program as well as a live scoreboard so that you can keep track of friends scores and try to outdo them at every term. It can get competitive and the fact that players can share screenshots via Twitter. It just adds another dimension to the smack talking that goes on online.

TOP KART RACER: This was really a no-brainer. There are two kart racers on shelves right now: Ben 10 and ModNation Racer: Roadtrip, and without a doubt, San Diego Studios wins this contest. There’s just more of everything with this release. The developers adapted this iteration to work with the Vita, tweaking the weapons system along with the content creation. The visuals are good but not great.

Now it’s easier than ever to create race courses on the Vita and share it with friends on the Internet. All you do is draw the track on the screen and you can sprinkle it with decorations and obstacles. The process is intuitve and simple so that players can start making their own levels and publish it in a half-hour. What’s even better is that levels from the PlayStation 3 version of the game can be downloaded and raced. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work the other way around. But that’s a minor complaint when you can take creation and racing with you.

A RETURN OF THE CLASSIC: I love Katamari Damacy. I honestly believe it was one of those classics that saved the industry. At a time when games were growing increasingly complex, it showed what a simple but quirky idea could do. Over the course of the past few years though with each iteration, some of its charm has worn off. But with Touch My Katamarion the Vita, Namco Bandai gets back on a roll with the franchise.

Part of the reason is that the developers introduce a new ability to stretch or mold the katamari into new shapes using the touchpad. For example, say the Prince is rolling the ball and it can’t get under a shelf. Players can widen the katamari, lowering its height so he can fit in there. The same goes for verticality. The Prince can make the katamari skinny enabling it to go through narrow passages. This feature along with the Near components, the twin analog stick (obviously) and new rule sets gives Touch My Katamari the novelty that it thrives on.

BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME: Let’s face it, touch screen and motion controls are how many gamers play on the go. Don’t believe me? Look at how many people are playing on the buttonless iPhone and iPad. The iOS devices have become the dominant form of mobile gaming in the past few years and there needs to be a title that appeals to them, too. EnterEscape Plan.

Developed by Fun Bits Interactive, this puzzle adventure game puts players in the role of Laarg and Lil, two fugitives trying to get out of a prison. Players will have to control the heroes by swiping in a direction. They’ll have to nudge obstacles out of there way by tapping on the touch screen and rear touchpad. They’ll even use the tilt on floating instances.
The puzzle-solving can get esoteric and difficult at times, but it rewards fans who experiment and keep up with it. It’s the most iPhone-like game on Vita, making it something to keep an eye out for.

BEST GAME YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT: Army Corps of Hell is flying so under the radar right now that it may as well be underground. The actual name of the game and the cover won’t draw much interest unless you like skulls or perhaps the occult. But gamers should be clamoring for this release by Entersphere. It plays like the dirty love child between Pikmin and Patapon — two of the more well-loved titles on their respective systems.

Taking on the role of a banished Tyrant, you have to lead an army of goblins to retake your place on the throne. You move around the anti-hero, who revives fallen goblins, with the left stick. Meanwhile, you control your minions with the right stick and tap the right trigger too force them to attack large enemies. Once enough goblins are overcoming foes like so many ants, they can perform a kill attack. The Patapon influence comes in the drumming that will give power-ups to the Goblins and the upgrade system made up of the remains of fallen monsters. And for heavy metal fans, the game does have a great soundtrack.

BEST WHITE NOISE GAME: Sometimes you don’t need a title that requires your constant attention. You have other things to do like pare down the 20 episodes of Seinfeld clogging the DVR. One of the best ways to make the time go by is a white noise game. It’s a title that you can play off and on while watching TV. On the Nintendo DS, Pokemonis perfect for it. On the Vita, the one launch title that fits the bill is Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational.

It’s a solid entry to the franchise and doesn’t do much to drastically change the series’ winning formula. Players tackle golf courses around the world and the hitting is done via timed button presses. Players can tackle the links as slowly or quickly as they won’t. You don’t have to constantly monitor what’s going on. The most notable feature is that the game essentially offers a PS3 golfing experience on a handheld and includes asynchronous gameplay against other human opponents.

Last year, Scribblenauts took everyone by surprise. It went in to E3 as a game with a funny name and it left the show with a staggering amount of buzz. Is there another game like that this year? I doubt… Continue Reading →

Last year, Scribblenauts took everyone by surprise. It went in to E3 as a game with a funny name and it left the show with a staggering amount of buzz. Is there another game like that this year? I doubt it. There’s just going to be too much major news coming out with Project Natal, PlayStation Move and the Nintendo 3DS and big-budget titles such as Gears of War 3, The Last Guardianand the new Zelda sucking up the rest of the oxygen in the room. With everything going on, it could be easy for great game to get lost in the shuffle. With that in mind, here are a couple of promising titles that seem to be flying under the radar:

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West — Ninja Theory’s latest piqued my interest just with its visual style. It’s post-apocalyptic without the dreary brown and biege that seems to dominate developers’ imaginations. Instead of Mad Max, we have something more fantastic. The developer of Heavenly Sword imagines the end of civilization 150 years from now. It’s a place where you can see the remains in the deteriorating skeletons of buildings and bridges. Amid this environment, players will focus on two characters Monkey and Trip who’ll have to help each other out as they try to flee robots that appear to be enslaving humans. Aside from Ninja Theory, there’s a lot of great talent behind the game including Alex Garland, the author of The Beach and scriptwriter for 28 Days Later. I really believe in Garland’s work, and with all due respect to Remedy’s Alan Wake and Red Dead Redemption, this could be one of the best-written games of the year.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective — OK, there’s a trend here. This title is Phoenix Wright creator Shu Takumi’s new game. From what I’ve read, players will essentially be a spirit who can possess objects. The goal of the game is to prevent the deaths of certain people by inhabiting these objects and steer them away from danger. Other than that, I don’t know much else about the game except that it’ll probably be text-heavy and have some of the quirky humor that Takumi’s Phoenix Wright trilogy had.

Red Faction: Armageddon, Devil’s Third and Homefront — I’m comboing these two games for one reason. They’re all being published by THQ. It’s a surprising development for a publisher mostly known for its Pixar games, Saints Row franchise, WWE and UFC fighters. Now with these upcoming games, it seems as though the company is bent on making a name for itself beyond those core games. With Armageddon, THQ is making a big push toward transmedia gaming, where different parts of the universe will appear in different media. Devil’s Third is Tomonobu Itagaki’s new title after he left Team Ninja and started Valhalla Games. Suffice to say, the game looks very slick and very violent. Lastly, Homefront seems to be THQ’s uber shooter based on a scary history where North Korea attacks the United States. The developer behind it, Kaos Studios, did Frontlines: Fuel of War, which means that it’s mostly likely going to be heavy on the multiplayer. But overall, these games have the potential to surprise a lot of folks and maybe turn a few heads at the show.

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron — This game came up at the last minute, and the reason I’ve been high on it is because of the people involved, the content and the art style. First off, game director Sawaki Takeyasu and producer Masato Kimura are leading the team. They’ve worked on a few Clover titles such as Okami and Viewtiful Joe. Second, it’s about a fight between heaven and hell, which makes sense if you’ve played Bayonetta (a game by one of the main Clover minds Hideki Kamiya). Lastly, here’s what the game looks like. It’s very stylized but it looks gorgeous.

If you’re still looking for an iPad and you’re having a tough time finding one, I recommend heading to the nearest Best Buy. That’s where I was Saturday morning. I didn’t preorder the device nor did I sign up for… Continue Reading →

If you’re still looking for an iPad and you’re having a tough time finding one, I recommend heading to the nearest Best Buy. That’s where I was Saturday morning. I didn’t preorder the device nor did I sign up for a reservation online. I was one of those people who decided at the last minute that I desperately needed one. So instead of waiting hours for a chance to buy it, I just walked into the store and picked the device up. I was amazed at how easy it was. Maybe it was a good thing that the Best Buy angle wasn’t publicized as much.

The one thing I do advise is to ignore Best Buy’s offer of Black Tie protection. It’s ridiculously overpriced at $200 and up. Don’t believe what the sales associates there tell you. You can purchase the much better AppleCare plan at the Apple Store for $99. You’ll thank me for this later.

And while you’re there, you should purchase the Apple’s official iPad case. It’s similar to those sleeves for the Kindle. The case protects the surface of the tablet and doubles as a stand for easy typing and photo display (if you choose to use your iPad as picture frame when docked).

As for the device itself, I played a few of ngmoco’s free games on the tablet. GodFinger plays like Pocket God, with more of a purpose. Meanwhile, We Rule reminds of one of those Zynga games such as Farmville or Cafe World. They’re both interesting takes on the free-to-play genre. The way ngmoco makes money is by enticing players to buy items that extend or benefit their play experience.

When it comes iPhone games, it’s hit and miss when they’re emulated on the iPad. Titles such as The Simpsons Arcade look and play beautifully on the stretched screen. Other games such as Gangstar: West Coast Hustle don’t look nearly as good. They end up looking pixelated. Interestingly enough, because of the size of the screen, I ended up playing the games less with my thumbs and more with my index fingers. It just feels more comfortable that way.

I’ll offer more insight on games later next week as I get more accustomed to the iPad and download more games.

As of this moment, the iPhone 3G S is out on the shelves. To mark JesusPhone Day (which almost feels like Christmas), I’m offering a list of my five favorite games that I’ve played since the iPhone OS 2.0 update… Continue Reading →

As of this moment, the iPhone 3G S is out on the shelves. To mark JesusPhone Day (which almost feels like Christmas), I’m offering a list of my five favorite games that I’ve played since the iPhone OS 2.0 update and the lovely, lovely App Store made its debut.

Pocket God: This is the cheapest title on the list, but don’t let the small price tag fool you. Pocket God offers hours of entertainment. The premise of the game isn’t complicated. You lord of these little islanders and come up with entertaining ways to destroy them. You can toss them into the ocean. You can change the weather and draw lightning to strike them. You can even shake the iPhone and cause and earthquake. What’s great is that the creators, Bolt Creative, constantly update the game, so there’s always a reason to come back to it every once in a while. Price: 99 cents

Sims 3: You’d expect that cramming down an enormous game into a little cell phone would cause problems. We’ve all seen it before. Something’s lost in the translation from big screen to the mobile one. With the Sims 3, that doesn’t happen — much. The game brings players a streamlined version of what they’d expect on the PC. Players can still customize their character (somewhat) and move around and buy items in their homes (No, home building here unfortunately.) They can even get jobs and walk around town. Although they can’t record video of their Sims and the title doesn’t nearly have as many options, the Sims 3 manages to bring the essence of the franchise to the iPhone right down to the quirky music. And yes, it’s addictive enough that you’ll play until your iPhone battery runs dry. Price: $9.99

Siberian Strike: Anyone familiar with the arcade classic 1942 should love this Gameloft title. It’s a top-down arcade shoot-’em up that’s perfectly playable on the iPhone’s touch screen. The controls are simple. Players don’t have to press a fire button; the plane fires automatically. They’ll touch the screen and maneuver around bullets and other projectiles as they take down the Russian army. There’s even some 3D trench levels strewn through the game. It’s like having an old-school arcade cabinet in your pocket. Price: 99 cents.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour: Although this is one of the most expensive titles on the list, it is one of the best made and fully featured games out there. Tiger Woods includes four real-life golfers such as Vijay Singh and Natalie Gulbis and features seven courses such as Pebble Beach and St. Andrews. The controls smartly uses the touch screen in a way that measure speed and precision based on how you slide your fingers across the screen. The game even includes the occasional audio commentary. It almost feels like you’re playing this golfing title on the console. Price: $6.99

Oregon Trail: More than 30 years after the original, this classic education game finally gets an update. Again, like other titles, Oregon Trail offers a streamlined version of the original. In this case, players will spend less time figuring out how many axles and extra wheels they need and more time venturing into the unknown American wilderness circa 1848. The addition of minigames makes this game more entertaining and hopefully the new iPhone 3G S speed will make the loading times more bearable. Price: $4.99

Speaking of competition in the industry, just when I thought I saw everything with DJ Hero. Here comes another title to go head to head with Activision’s latest music game. Scratch: The Ultimate DJ has its own turntables called the… Continue Reading →

Speaking of competition in the industry, just when I thought I saw everything with DJ Hero. Here comes another title to go head to head with Activision’s latest music game.

Scratch: The Ultimate DJ has its own turntables called the Scratch Deck. This one looks a little more realistic and based off a design by Numark Industries, which is known for its expertise.

Here’s the most important bits of the press release:

Scratch Deck combines two essential elements of the DJ and hip-hop experience – a free-spinning, touch sensitive turntable with a crossfader and 5 Akai Pro MPC-style drum pads. The turntable allows players to add their own style and manipulate the songs in real time, while the MPC-style drum pads give players the opportunity to perform and customize tracks by triggering samples using the very same pads that are the cornerstone of professional hip-hop beat production. Samples can either be pre-loaded into the game using 60 unique battle records that will ship with the software, or players can record and upload their own samples using a compatible USB microphone.

Between DJ Hero and Scratch, It sounds like there’s going to be a lot of spinning this fall and holiday season.

That’s right, that National Geographic. Games division. It may sound crazy but it seems like it may have some potential. They’ve partnered with Namco Bandai and SCEA (Sony’s software division) so that gives them some publishing clout, and while their… Continue Reading →

It may sound crazy but it seems like it may have some potential. They’ve partnered with Namco Bandai and SCEA (Sony’s software division) so that gives them some publishing clout, and while their cable network has a reputation as a nerdier version of the Discovery channel they do have some stuff conducive to gaming…to those of you who watched Lockdown, don’t try to tell me you didn’t imagine it as a strategy game, we all did.

Time magazine asks the question: “Can the iPhone rule gaming?” And we have an answer. No, it can’t. Well, more specifically, it can’t right now, not with the games that are out there. The Time articles goes into how the… Continue Reading →

Time magazine asks the question: “Can the iPhone rule gaming?” And we have an answer. No, it can’t. Well, more specifically, it can’t right now, not with the games that are out there.

The Time articles goes into how the iPhone is affecting the mobile games business. It wonders whether the Jesus Phone can beat out the Nintendo DS, the No. 1 hand-held on the market.

The system does have a few things going for it. All the games are downloadable content. It’s cheap to distribute. It has a touch-screen (part of what made the Nintendo DS so phenomenal) and an accelerometer, one of the parts that make up the Wii remote. There’s a camera. It has GPS. But unfortunately, no game really incorporates all those strengths.

]]>http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2008/08/04/timecan-the-iphone-rule-gaming/feed/3iPhone in handNew Peggle games on Nintendo DShttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2008/07/27/new-peggle-games-on-ds/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2008/07/27/new-peggle-games-on-ds/#commentsMon, 28 Jul 2008 01:01:07 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/videogames/?p=912So what’s more impressive than this Peggle shot that smashed the 13.5 million record? Well, it comes pretty close, but PopCap Games announced that it will be bringing one of the best casual games in years to the Nintendo DS… Continue Reading →

So what’s more impressive than this Peggle shot that smashed the 13.5 million record? Well, it comes pretty close, but PopCap Games announced that it will be bringing one of the best casual games in years to the Nintendo DS this winter.

It’s one of three titles coming to the hand-held. The other two are Adventures The Forgotten Ruins and Mystery P.I.- Portrait of a
Thief. Both of these titles are based on those hidden image games you’d find in Highlights magazine. It’s pretty self-explanatory.

As for the cost, Peggle will sell for $29.95, which is a little pricey. The other two titles will go for $19.95 and will be released this winter.